The invention relates to an exercising apparatus particularly adaptable and useful for exercising animals, especially horses.
There have been many attempts in the prior art to develop exercising apparatus or treadmills for horses. Typical examples of such apparatus are illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,689,066, 4,227,487, 4,332,217, and 4,361,115.
One of the ever existing problems not adequately resolved by the apparatus of the prior art concerns the cushioning of the surface on which the horses' hooves contact during exercise. The cushioning requirement is as necessary in dealing with horses' limbs as it is when dealing with human beings. Humans are able, to a large extent, to sufficiently cushion the impact forces occasioned by jogging or running by wearing the corrective type of running shoes. Since running shoes have not found a place in the list of proper attire for horses, it is an objective of the present invention to produce an exercising apparatus for horses wherein the running surface is appropriately cushioned to assist in absorbing impact energy occasioned by the associated horses during exercise.
It is a further object of the invention to produce an exercising apparatus containing a walking or running surface having an adjustable supporting mechanism to control the resiliency or yieldability thereof.